Vital Signs 1997

The global trends documented in Vital Signs 1997—from food supply to human health—will play a large role in determining the quality of our lives and our children's lives in the next decade.

Written by the Institute's award-winning research team, the sixth volume in the series lets readers track key indicators that show social, economic and environmental progress, or lack of it. This authoritative data has been distilled form thousands of documents obtained from government, industry, scientists, and international organizations into forty-five "vital signs" of our times.

Each year, Vital Signs presents emerging trends in more than one hundred clear and compelling charts, tables, and graphs, accompanied by concise, thoughtful analysis. Among the findings in the 1997 edition:

Half the languages in the world are likely to become extinct in the coming century.

By 2020, deaths from non-communicable diseases will outnumber those from communicable diseases by five to one.

Financial losses from weather-related disasters hit a record $60 billion last year.

Despite a record grain harvest in 1996, carryover stocks are still too low for comfort after having been drawn down from 104 days to 51 days from 1987 to 1996.

Whether you read Vital Signs1997 for a preview of the next decade or to verify a particular trend, you will find it comprehensive and authoritative.